Words have power.....

I've been thinking lately about the power that words can have.  Words can hurt, betray, insult, wound and embarrass.  On the other hand, they can encourage, show love, build up and calm down.  In this age of rampant social media, it seems that a lot of people have forgotten about the impact of their words.  The old saying "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me" isn't applicable!  There are too many stories about young people taking their own lives because of the words spread about them on Facebook or Twitter.  I cringe quite often when I am looking on Facebook and I see some of the rantings, ravings or opinions that people put in their status...and I'm not just talking about younger people.

Once words are put out into cyber-space, they are out there for ALL to see.  They cannot be taken back even if you remove the post...people have still seen what you have written.  Just because we have the power of technology at our fingertips and can post our thoughts or opinions right from our cell phone doesn't mean that we should do it.  Just like when you are speaking, it is often a good idea to take a breather between an event and your words.  When I was younger, I didn't take a breather and often said things that shouldn't have been said because I didn't think about the impact that my words would have on people.  I still struggle with biting my tongue at times.  Society tells us that we should be free to express what we think and feel but the scriptures tell us that the tongue is "an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (James 3:8).

We should all think very carefully about the things that we put out on email, Facebook, etc.  Those are words that reach way more people than we would normally talk to or impact in the run of a day.  You just have to read some of the comments on YouTube or on some of the online magazines or blogs to see that people feel that the anonymity of the internet removes the filter that we all should have on our words.

Never underestimate the power of your words....spoken or written!  Choose kind, encouraging and positive words.....